Baha Mar just announced the switcheroo this morning of SLS taking over the operations of a 300-room property at Baha Mar which Mondrian was previously set to run.

Renowned for its high concept design aesthetic that fosters social engagement, SLS Hotels is the brand that introduced the idea of the hotel as a social experience. SLS at Baha Mar will feature 300 distinctively styled rooms that continue the brand's tradition of celebrating creativity, culture, fashion and art as part of the pursuit of our guests' passions.

Indeed, the Mondrian has been wiped from the website and the entryway of the SLS at Beverly Hills has been slotted in on the SLS page instead.

When we told you what to expect at the SLS Las Vegas last week, we mentioned the three different room towers at the property--World, Story and Lux. Well, now it turns out SLS LUX isn't just a room tower in Vegas but a new brand within a brand from SLS Hotels.

SLS LUX will be an all-suite and residential experience for guests with upgraded amenities and personalized VIP services. The first SLS LUX will obviously open in Vegas over Labor Day Weekend but SLS is also planning another SLS LUX in Miami (pictured above) in 2016 to complement the upcoming SLS Brickell Hotel & Residences, which will open next year.

This new LUX will have 450 residences, 85 luxury suites, a tennis and fitness center, rooftop pool, wine cellar, cigar room and two restaurants, Katsuya and SBar. Yabu Pushelberg will do the interiors while works from Colombian sculptor Fernando Botero will adorn the entrance. So in case you were ever disappointed with the basic-ness of an SLS room, the LUX room should have whatever you're looking for. We hope.

SLS says additional LUX locations are already in development in the U.S. Meanwhile, SLS Park Avenue won't be opening this year but in 2015 instead.

Last week, we got to the tour the most ambitious SLS Hotel project yet--the SLS Las Vegas Hotel and Casino at the far end of the Las Vegas Strip, where the old Sahara casino used to be.

For "old" Vegas fans, there's not much of the original Sahara left, aside from the bones of the room towers and casino building. But if you want a thrilling new way to do up Vegas, baby, Vegas, the SLS will satisfy little and large spenders alike. Sorry, we got carried away with SLS-speak. What we meant to say is, there will be something for everyone here. You may not need to leave the SLS at all.

The World Tower will feature SLS "lite" sort of rooms. These rooms are no bigger than 400-sq.ft. (with the exception of a suite) and they are more fun and functional rather than over-the-top luxurious.

Rob Oseland, president and COO of SLS Las Vegas told us these rooms were designed by Philippe Starck to be "cost effective chic."

There's an exclusive SLS bed (called Sleep Lying Still from Beauty Rest by Simmons Hospitality), 300-thread count bedding, down pillows and a comfy little couch at the foot of the bed. There's also the SLS-branded Saints & Sinners minibar goodies as well as a desk and rolling chair and a flat-screen TV.

And instead of putting in a lot of luxury layers where room technology is concerned, Oseland said SLS will simply boost the cell reception and install a fast WiFi network, which at the end of the day, is really what guests want from their hotel rooms. The World Tower rooms are the starting room rate at $149 a night on August 25. Yet if you want some luxurious settings, you should upgrade up to the Lux Tower.

Yeah. That's all we got. BUT we did get to tour some model rooms and the rest of the property. We'll have a bigger breakdown for you on Monday but here's what you need to know:

· The room types are spread out amongst three towers. The World Tower has the biggest but most basic rooms. The Story Tower has the smallest but funnest rooms while the Luxe Tower has the plushest rooms with the full SLS experience (mirrors on the ceiling, peek-a-boo showers, pops of pink.)

· The casino floor will have plenty of gaming but surrounding the gaming floor is an SBE-wonderland of sorts with restaurants from Katsuya, Umami, 800 Degrees and Cleo, along with several retail stores from Fred Segal.

· The Bazaar restaurant from Chef Jose Andres isn't just a restaurant. The space will have 10 gaming tables, a MEAT room (yes, it's what you think it is) and a Bar Centro.

· The Life nightclub, which was created out of the old Sahara theater space, is going to be off the chain. Make no mistake--this is a massive nightclub but if you're into that, it will blow you away with massive LED screens and aerial performers.

We'll have more from inside the SLS on Monday but if you want to get all caught up with the latest, head on over to VegasChatter to get up to speed.

A month ago, we told you how superstar DJ Avicii was taking over the SLS South Beach during Miami Music Week by renaming the hotel, The Avicii Hotel. SLS then promised that guests would be treated to an “EDM-meets-luxury hotel featuring world-class programming and events, exclusive room packages…." Indeed, the SLS transformed itself completely into the Avicii Hotel even putting up the name Avicii above silver SLS letters in front of the hotel.

But it looks like Avicii himself checked out early.

TMZ reports that just before Avicii was to take the stage at Hyde Beach at the hotel for his set, he cancelled. Initial word was that he went to the hospital. TMZ later confirmed that Avicii was discharged from the hospital and that he also checked out of the hotel.

sbe, the nightlife and hospitality company behind SLS Hotels, has given their website a complete makeover, at last consolidating all their entertainment and hotel sites together in one spot, and throwing in some bonus blog content too.

Looking a lot like the recent redo of the Raleigh Hotel website, the new sbe site is heavy on the visuals but is still easy to navigate, thanks to helpful pop-up boxes. It's also blessedly free of annoying music.

The home page is anchored by a giant photo (a male model fully clothed in a pool and biting on a stiletto heel) with a "Learn More" button hyping the arrival of the SLS Las Vegas on Labor Day Weekend. Below that is a grid of photos and quotes. When you linger over one of the squares, a pop-up box tells you what that particular photo or quote is about. If you'd rather not bother with this grid, send your cursor to the left side of the page for a more traditional website menu.

Scrolling down the website, you'll see ways to find/follow the sbe collection on social media, as well as learn more about the company, and our personal favorite, check the calendar to see what events are happening at what venues. The site, of course, has been "device optimized" meaning it works just as seamlessly on a mobile and table device as it does on your computer.

Nothing gets a raver’s vacation rolling like a hotel themed around one of the world’s most celebrated DJs.

Avicii, Grammy-nominated electronic dance music producer (and Swedish hottie!), is teaming up with SLS Hotels to bring The Avicii Hotelback to South Beach for this year’s Miami Music Week , where he’s headlining at the Ultra Music Festival for the third year in a row.

From March 26-March 30, guests of The Avicii Hotel at SLS South Beach will be treated to an “EDM-meets-luxury hotel featuring world-class programming and events, exclusive room packages…” the hotel said in a statement.

We’re all for exclusive performances and events just for hotel guests, but what exactly does "EDM-meets-luxury" mean?

It's been nearly three years since the legendary Sahara Hotel closed down in Las Vegas and we've been stalking the property's transformation into the SLS Las Vegas ever since. And now, thanks to our super SLS stalker sibling, VegasChatter, we've got an opening date--Labor Day Weekend.

Hotelier Sam Nazarian announced the date on the SLS blog simply saying:

Hello Vegas!
It’s been an incredible journey these past few years and I’m proud and humbled by some big news – SLS Las Vegas is officially opening Labor Day Weekend 2014. Looking forward to toasting The Strip’s next chapter with you! We are “back” indeed!

No word on when the room reservations will open or how much they will cost but given that Labor Day weekend is a big weekend in Vegas and this is a much-hyped new hotel and casino, we bet it will be a pretty penny. But we'll do our best to get in there on opening day.

Still interested in attending opening weekend? You can always book the SLS 5th Anniversary Package which includes two tickets to the SLS Las Vegas opening. For "only" $10,000!

TRUMP HOTEL RIO DE JANEIRO: So our guess yesterday about Trump Hotels' latest announcement had to do with China but we were so wrong. The luxury hotel group is actually planning a 13-story, 171-guestroom hotel in the Jardim Oceanico sub-district of the famous Barra da Tijuca borough. It will open in 2016 just in time for the Summer Olympics. The Rockwell Group will be doing the interiors and the hotel will have a rooftop pool deck with private VIP cabanas, a nightclub, a spa, a fitness center and all the signature Trump services and amenities.

THOMPSON PLAYA DEL CARMEN: Commune Hotels + Resorts have announced a second Thompson Hotel for Mexico--Thompson Playa Del Carmen. The hotel will have 125 rooms and suites with a rooftop pool as well as a spa. It will be the only hotel in Playa to have a both a central 5th Avenue--a 2-mile-long shopping and entertainment pedestrian thoroughfare--and a beachfront location. It will open in 2015. The other Thompson in Mexico, Thompson Los Cabos, is currently under development.

ROSEWOOD SANYA: Rosewood Hotels and Resorts have announced yet another new property. Rosewood Sanya will open in 2017 in a new development in Haitang Bay in Southern Hainan Island. The resort will actually be integrated with the International Finance Forum convention center which will open in 2015. Designed by Chicago-based architectural firm, Goettsch, the Rosewood Sanya will have 229 ocean-facing guest rooms and suites, an infinity-edge "sky pool" (i.e. located way up high), a Sense spa and five restaurant options.

As we all know, Robin Thicke was in Miami Beach on New Year's Eve, performing at the SLS South Beach for their New Year's Eve party. But what we didn't know was that the "Blurred Lines" singer threw a fit over the small size of his hotel room.

According to Page Six, Thicke demanded to pull out of the performance for a bigger room. He reportedly had his travel agent calling other hotels to get a bigger room. In the end, an SLS rep denied all the drama and said, "Robin has been a great guest.”

So which room did Thicke resist so much? We're not quite sure but the Tower Penthouse starts at around 1,000-sq.ft. with a 552-sq.ft. rooftop terrace. Meanwhile, the Villa Penthouse is a little bigger at 1,117-sq.ft with a 360-sq.ft. wraparound terrace. We think either of these options would have been just fine for Thicke, especially given the size restrictions of these older Art Deco buildings (The SLS was formerly The Ritz Plaza.)

But if they tried to put him in the "puny" 700--sq.ft. SLS suite then we think he had every right to complain. "What rhymes with hug me" indeed.

It's that time of year again: the 2013 HotelChatter Awards! Today and tomorrow, we'll be showcasing the best (and worst) of hotels over the past year. But we couldn't do it without you! Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or shoot us an email. And the Award goes to...

It was pretty clear from the start of 2013 that Sam Nazarian would win the Hotelier of the Year for the second year in a row.

When we gave Nazarian this distinction in 2012, we hinted that 2013 would be an even bigger year for him. And he didn't wait long.

In February, SLS Hotels not only announced the SLS Las Vegas would open in fall 2014 but they also announced a new SLS Hotel for Seattle. Then in March, SLS released plans for a second hotel for Miami in the Brickell neighborhood (this hotel would also have SLS-branded residences attached.) The company laid low for a few months but then put forth some major expansion plans in July by announcing their intent to take the SLS brand to China by 2015.

Yet things really heated up at the end of the year. SLS and its parent company, sbe (also founded by Nazarian) opened their second Redbury Hotel in Miami Beach, just in time for Art Basel. (Remember, they also run The Raleigh in Miami Beach too.) Then the day before Thanksgiving, they dropped the news that they would be spinning off their Hyde nightclub into a hotel brand called Hyde Hotels. Two locations are already in the works in South Florida. And lastly, just a few weeks ago, the SLS International Hotel in Philadelphia was officially announced.

2014 will obviously be a hugely important year for Nazarian (and SLS and Hyde and Redbury) as many of these announcements and developments finally come to fruition (VEGAS BABY.) But will there be even more up Nazarian's sleeve in 2014? We kinda think it must be getting crowded up there but we guess, make hay while the sun shines. This hotel boom clearly won't last forever.

More importantly, will we see a three-peat next year? Possibly, but if Sir Richard Branson and his Virgin Hotels finally gets going and if Ian Schrager ramps up the Public Hotels expansion, that could make this race interesting.

We first heard mention that hotelier Sam Nazarian's SLS brand would open in Philadelphia over the summer when SLS announced expansion plans in China and subtly dropped a list of future U.S. locations that included Philly. Today, the company is going public with the plans, partnering with Dranoff Properties to open the 47-story SLS International Hotel and Reisdences at the intersection of Broad and Spruce Streets in Center City, directly across from the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.

(Apparently, there's already an SLS Philadelphia, a Spanish Language School, but Carl Dranoff told the Philadelphia Inquirer the International name is also an homage to the Philadelphia International Records building, home to the birthplace of Philadelphia Sound and the site of the new SLS hotel.)